The mission of the Ocean Rescue Bureau is to provide surf lifesaving on Miami Dade County's public beaches as a professional endeavor and as a means of public safety, preventing accidents while protecting lives and property by providing prompt, skillful and cost-effective ocean rescue and lifesaving emergency services. These goals are met by creating the highest level of professionalism among our lifeguard ranks and by providing beachgoers exceptional customer service and public relations as well as an education in beach and aquatic safety.

Miami-Dade County 's Lifeguards were transferred from the Parks Department and moved into the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department in October of 2003. With nearly 100 employees, the Ocean Rescue Bureau is ready to continue its tradition of serving the public, preventing accidents, saving lives and making the County proud.

Miami-Dade County's public beaches (Crandon Park and Haulover Park) are professionally guarded 365 days a year - Winter: November - March // 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM - Summer: April - October // 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM. Lifeguards protect and guard an area which consists of approximately 2.5 miles - (Crandon Beach 1.2 miles / Haulover Beach 1.3 miles).

At Crandon's lagoon-style beach, the guarded area represents approximately 257 acres or 1,960,000 square yards of covered water area extending in some areas to a distance of up to 800+ yards offshore. Crandon's Lifeguards will also respond in case of emergency to approximately 2 miles of beach owned by the Village of Key Biscayne - where there are no lifeguards on duty.

At Haulover Park , Lifeguards monitor the surf-style beach up to 100 yards offshore. Haulover Park Lifeguards can and at times do respond to emergency situations in Haulover Cut and continue to assist the Sunny Isles Ocean Rescue agency that patrols up to approximately 4 miles of Sunny Isles Beach located north of Haulover. Numerous rescues and CPR / artificial resuscitations including body recoveries have been made by Ocean Rescue Lifeguards in these areas.

Our moral, ethical and professional beliefs and obligations necessitate us to respond to these potentially hazardous and unprotected areas if the need arises.

Miami-Dade County Ocean Rescue Bureau boasts 30 elevated and mostly enclosed lifeguard towers spaced approximately 150 yards apart and operational headquarters buildings, one for each beach. There are plans for new headquarter buildings at both beaches.

Staff includes 1 Ocean Rescue Bureau OIC, 2 Beach Safety Managers (Captains), 7 Lieutenants, 31 full-time lifeguards, up to 60+ part-time lifeguards and 4 Communication Support Specialists totaling approximately 100 employees. Additional Supervisory and Lifeguard positions are being requested at this time.